Friday, March 19, 2010

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - Filipino students staged a protest rally Friday and criticized the continued implementation of the so-called no-permit, no-examination policy at the University of Mindanao in Davao City in Mindanao despite a memorandum issued by the Commission on Higher Education prohibiting the hated policy.

The CHED Memorandum No. 2 , issued January 22 this year, was in response to House Bill 6799 or the Anti-NPNE Bill filed by KABATAAN Party-list Representative Raymond Palatino. It mandated all Higher Educational Institutions to "allow students with delinquent school accounts to take their examinations."

KABATAAN Party-list Regional Spokesperson Ronnie Clarion said: "Now that graduation is near students are beset with this problem because they cannot take their examination. The no-permit, no-examination policy at the University of Mindanao is a big burden to the students."

The UM administration issued a memorandum dated March 3, 2010 signed by Guillermo Torres Jr. directing all teachers for their "full cooperation and support in the implementation of the policy of NPNE" to the dismay of students.

"This is clearly a total neglect of the law and policy of the state and the UM administration should be penalized," stressed Clarion. "The CHED Memo is very easy to comprehend, no students will be barred to take their exam due to unpaid fees. And yet, how come the UM administration cannot understand this very simple order?"

He added: "It is very clear how the Arroyo government continues to be inutile in protecting the interest of the students. It would appear that the CHED memo is toothless, for the way it is being implemented right now, the CHED cannot run after profit-hungry, profit-driven schools like UM."